Wilkie Collins 
After Dark [EPUB ebook] 

"After Dark" by Wilkie Collins, published in 1856, is his first collection of short stories, unified by a frame narrative. It features William Kerby, an artist going blind, who recounts stories inspired by his paintings to overcome financial ruin. The collection comprises six diverse tales, ranging from the suspenseful and mysterious, like the perilous Parisian adventures in "The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed, " to the tragic and romantic, such as in "The Nun's Story of Gabriel's Marriage." These stories, set against various backdrops including the French Revolution and Italian intrigues, showcase Collins' knack for suspense and the supernatural, preluding his later famous works.